Wings of Windsor : Royal Pioneers of Flight

Prince Edward, the charismatic and wildly popular Prince of Wales, rejected his father King George V’s view of civilian flying as reckless and dangerous and embraced the speed, convenience and privacy it offered. The modernising prince became effectively a celebrity influencer, glamourising air travel. Having established a personal airfield at Windsor, Edward piloted his own planes for official and personal trips at home and abroad. His enthusiasm for flight waned when he committed himself to Wallis Simpson, a firm non-flyer, but following his 1937 abdication as King Edward VIII, the enduring legacy of the ‘Royal Flight’ was passed to his brother, George VI. Drawing on newspaper reports and private accounts, _Wings of Windsor: Royal Pioneers of Flight_ traces the aerial exploits of young members of the royal family from the First World War into the 1930s, unveiling the royal passion and courage that helped propel Britain into the age of flight.